Here, Blooming: an exploration of anxiety, grief, and growth through mindful art therapy

by Catherine Friesen

Here, Blooming is a personal exploration of anxiety using mindful art therapy. Through the use of tailored directives and the resulting free writes, poetry, and art, the topic of anxiety is explored in an attentive way, resulting in an understanding and acceptance of it as it lives in the art therapist’s body. By integrating an approach of mindful curiosity with that of a willingness to learn, a relationship is cultivated between anxiety and the art one of listening, caring, and empathy. Through this comes the recognition that, though anxiety may reside in the self, it’s not there as an adversary; it’s only trying to communicate messages long ignored.

139 pages, Paperback

Published April 24, 2023

Reviews

[Jordan Jongema · Rating 5 out of 5]

An antidote not only for Catherine's tug-o-war with boomeranging anxiety, but an artistic shuffle of new therapy methods to battle one's own as well. Uniquely presented as a piece of Art itself, "Here, Blooming" is a delightful little road map to bypass conventional methods of therapy towards mending a friendship with anxiety, instead of dooming yourself a victim of its abuse, via brush, canvas, and pen.